Shadow Justice
by AlchemyWriter
Summary: While fleeing the New Republic, an Imperial shuttle is damaged and winds up on Earth. When the team investigates, they find the only survivor to be a boy with telekinetic powers and few memories of who he is. As his memories return, will this mysterious boy prove to be friend or foe?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everybody! Welcome to my second story. This isn't as planned out as my first story, but I'll adjust and learn more about how I want it to go as I write. I might start another YJ crossover while writing this story, but I want to start this one first. So, without further ado, let's begin!**

**A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…**

**The Rebellion has won. After the deaths of Darth Vader and the Emperor on the second Death Star, the Galactic Empire has fallen to the emboldened Rebel Alliance and plans put into place by the Emperor himself. As the remnants of the Imperial Navy retreat into the depths of the Unknown Regions, led by commandant Brendol Hux, and the New Republic takes control of the galaxy, on a lone Star Destroyer fleeing the planet Coruscant, an old enemy returns…**

The Star Destroyer _Caligula _was unique among its brethren. Unlike the rest of the Imperial fleet, it officially did not exist. Advanced cloaking devices and false markings kept the ship from being found while in deep space, or passed it off as another Destroyer of similar design. The crew of the ship had been hand-picked by Emperor Palpatine himself, for their loyalty to both him, and the Empire.

Despite the ship's might and exemplary crew, the _Caligula_ found itself being pursued by New Republic ships away from Coruscant. However, even as Republic starfighters marred the ship's hull with blaster fire and the cruiser's turbolasers hammered at the shields, none of the New Republic's soldiers were remotely aware of the events transpiring inside the Star Destroyer at that very moment.

O

Falling.

That was the only sensation he could feel. As he moved his limbs helplessly, his senses began to take in other information. He was in a tank, filled with fluid. He'd instinctively held his breath as he became more aware of his surroundings, but he didn't know how he hadn't already inhaled some of the fluid before then.

Two figures were outside of his tank. He could not see their faces, but they seemed agitated. Confused and confined, the being in the tank began to strike at the glass, hoping that it would give way and free him. The two figures outside began fiddling with a console of some sort, but nothing happened. The confined being was running out of breath, and searched frantically for some way of escape.

Then the tank exploded.

O

The two Imperial scientists inside the _Caligula_'s massive laboratory reeled back as the cloning tank they'd been trying to open burst. Fluid spilled all over the floor as they looked back at the figure that had emerged.

The clone was not fully mature. It appeared to be around twelve years of age, grown for that long as accelerated growth had proven too risky for the project to consider. One scientist found his voice as he stared.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

The clone boy's eyes showed confusion. He didn't recognize them, or where he was. The second scientist realized this quickly and rushed forward, removing his coat to wrap around the boy's form.

"Don't worry, your Majesty. Your memories will return in time. Do you remember anything, anything at all?"

"How to speak," the boy replied in a soft voice. He still looked confusedly around at his surroundings. "Where are we? What's going on?"

The second scientist stood up.

"We're on the Star Destroyer _Caligula,_ your specialised mobile laboratory. You ordered us to clone your body so that in the event of-"

The scientist's words were cut off as the ship's intercom blared.

"ALERT, SHIP'S MAIN REACTOR HAS BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED. ALL HANDS, ABANDON SHIP! REPEAT, SHIP'S MAIN REACTOR HAS BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED. ALL HANDS, ABANDON SHIP!"

The two scientists hurried the boy to the nearest docking bay, where a _Lambda_-class Imperial shuttle was waiting. Two black-uniformed pilots were loading several crates and small cases aboard. Surrounding the shuttle were a half dozen figures wearing red robes and armor, wielding force pikes. As the scientists approached, two guards intercepted them.

"We need to get him off this ship, now!"

One guard pulled the boy from the scientists grip, carrying him towards the shuttle. The other prevented the scientists from following. The boy heard one of the scientists cry, "This is the first time we've been able to keep the body alive without a mind! We don't know if he's stable! He might not last long!"

The pilots finished loading the shuttle's cargo, and the remaining guards boarded the ship as well. Leaving the protesting scientists, who ran for the escape pods, the shuttle's boarding ramp closed and it lifted off. As the shuttle departed the crippled Destroyer's hangar bay, the boy watched the escape pods flee the ship into the vacuum of space and the pursuing ship's tractor beams. As he watched, the boy saw several Republic starfighters break away from the large ship and pursue the shuttle.

Their first few blasts didn't penetrate the shields, but caused the shuttle to rock uncontrollably. Behind them, the _Caligula'_s damaged reactor detonated, consuming the ship and any starfighters or escape pods unlucky enough to be too close in a massive fireball. The boy turned to face the cockpit of the shuttle and heard one of the pilots shout, "The coordinates are set. Hurry!"

The moment the shuttle went to lightspeed, a laserblast struck the ship and sparks flew from the ship's controls. The pilots attempted to counter, but the damage was done. The shuttle was blasting through hyperspace with no clue of where it would come out.

**Okay, first chapter. Thoughts? I don't think I'll have a problem with the Star Wars parts of the story, but I haven't watched Young Justice in a while, so I'll try to review the second season (this takes place just before season 2) and write that well. I haven't seen season three yet, so when I get there, this story will go on break until I can watch it. Leave a review or PM me on what you think of this chapter and who you think the clone boy is. I think I made the answer pretty obvious, but still guess. Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

The team was enjoying a day off from crime fighting and simply relaxing in the cave when an alert came from the computer. Nightwing, Robin, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Blue Beetle hurried over to see what had happened. The screen activated to show Batman's image.

"Team," spoke the dark knight, "An unidentified craft just crashed not far from Mount Justice."

Nightwing nodded. "We know, we just received an alert about it."

"Go check it out and look for survivors. If there are, gauge their intentions before engaging."

The team members voiced their understanding and left for the crash sight. When they found it, it wasn't pretty. The ship itself was fairly large by human standards, though pieces may have separated before the crash. Whoever had been piloting must have attempted to bring it down carefully, as the ship had scraped along the ground instead of simply impacting the surface.

It was white, though its body was covered in dirt and scratches. A large black viewport extended from the cockpit, while smaller viewports ran along the body. It appeared to have three wings, two that folded when not in flight, and one stationary wing that seemed to stabilize the craft like an airplane's tail. Nightwing surveyed the damage.

"We should check to see if anyone's alive in there."

Searching for a door or airlock yielded no results, forcing Connor to break the front viewport for entry. When he did, the team was surprised. The pilots of the ship appeared to be human, or at least, very similar to humans. They wore black uniforms and caps. Both were dead. Further investigation of the ship revealed the bodies of several red-robed figures scattered around the passenger compartment. Like the pilots, they were also dead. Nightwing examined the luggage scattered around the compartment. They appeared to be full of alien objects that he didn't recognize.

He was about to tell the rest of the team that there were no survivors when he heard a soft groan. Turning back, he noticed something under one of the red-robed figures. Moving the body, he found a boy lying on the floor of the ship. He looked to be around twelve or thirteen, with red hair and pale skin. He wore only an adult's white medical coat.

"M'gann, I found a survivor. He's unconscious and possibly injured."

Miss Martian phased through the wall of the ship and joined him. Her eyes glowed green as she attempted to read the boy's mind.

"He's dreaming. I can't quite tell what their about. Should we take him back to Mount Justice?"

The rest of the team at the crash site joined them as they stared at the boy.

"Yes, maybe we can get some answers when he wakes up."

O

"It looked like a personal transport of some kind. The beings inside looked human, but we're not sure. There was only one survivor, whom we brought back for medical treatment. He looks to be about twelve." Nightwing finished giving his report to Batman. The vigilante nodded.

"I'll bring Black Canary to the Cave and we can ask him what happened. Keep me updated."

The call terminated, and Nightwing returned to the rest of the team.

O

The boy's dreams were confusing. The events were things that he could not process in the time that he saw them. As they progressed, he learned the history of his home galaxy.

It had once been run by a massive republic, the Galactic Republic. Then, a war had swept across the galaxy. The Republic's troops were led by the Jedi, warrior-monks capable of utilizing the Force and wielding laser swords called lightsabers. The boy was not yet clear on what the Force was, but he did know that it had a light side and a dark side.

At the end of the war, the Republic reorganized itself as an Empire, and ruled while fighting another war, against rebels who wished to restore the Republic. The rebels had won the war with the help of a Jedi, and the Empire had fallen.

That was as much as he knew before he woke. Looking around, he found himself in what appeared to be a medical bay. Several machines were hooked to him, monitoring him. He disconnected them, and stood up from the bed. As he did, a young man entered the room. He wore a uniform with a symbol of some sort of bird on the front, and had some kind of mask on.

"Are you all right?"

The boy looked at the young man and nodded.

"Yes. Who are you?"

The young man looked surprised for a moment, before responding.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to actually speak English. I'm Nightwing. And you are?"

"I don't remember. Yet."

Another man and a woman entered the room. The second man wore a suit with a different symbol on his chest, and wore a cape and cowl over his head. He didn't bother to introduce himself, and simply asked, "What happened to you?"

Confused, the boy asked, "What do you mean?"

The woman answered. "How did you crash here?"

"I don't remember the entirety of it yet. I woke up on a starship that was under attack. The doctors brought me to that shuttle and the guards took me away. The shuttle was damaged in the escape, and we crashed here."

The three people in the room with him looked thoughtful. Eventually, the woman asked him another question.

"What do you mean, you woke up on a starship? Don't you remember boarding it?"

"No. From what the doctors said, I'm a clone of someone important. They said my memories would return in time."

"Oh. I see. Any idea on why your ship was under attack?"

"My home galaxy was at the end of a civil war. The Empire had just fallen, and I think that I was on an Imperial starship. The Rebels probably wanted to capture it before it fled with the rest of the fleet."

More thoughtful looks. The first man turned back to him after some time and said, "Why don't you get some more sleep? We'll prepare a room for you tomorrow, and explain who we are."

The boy nodded. "Very well. I'll likely remember more as I sleep."

The trio nodded, and left the room. The boy pulled the sheets back over himself and slept.

And as he slept, he dreamt.

And as he dreamt, he remembered.

**I'm not wholly happy with this chapter, but I'm going on a trip tomorrow, so I'll have plenty of time to consider the next chapter while I travel. Not to worry, I'm bringing my laptop, and my destination will have Internet access. I will update! Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello from the Outer Banks! My beloved readers, I am at the beach! The beach house we rented is nice, we've rented it before. The problem is that due to the number of people in the house combined with the number of bedroom, I'm rooming with my cousin. That's fine and all, but the room seems way too small. Anyways, you're here for my new chapter, not my vacation story. On to it!**

Nightwing, Batman, and Black Canary reentered the Cave's control room. The trio looked at one another. Batman was the first to speak.

"Are we sure that it's a good idea to let him wander around?"

Nightwing frowned. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"We don't know anything about him. What if he was cloned from a dangerous person, or a criminal?"

Black Canary cut in. "He's just a child, Batman. He may be very...mature for his age, but he seems more uncertain about what will happen to him than malicious."

Nightwing nodded. "Besides, if those guards in the ship were anything to go off of, he was a person of great importance in that empire he mentioned. Those Rebels that shot his ship down may come looking for him."

"I think that we need to keep an eye on him. If he proves a threat, we'll be ready."

The other two agreed with Batman on that.

O

His dreams were full of laughter and death.

An old man in black clothes and a brown cloak stood with him in an abandoned warehouse on Coruscant.

He growled in rage as he traded lightsaber blows with a dark-skinned man in Jedi robes wielding a purple lightsaber.

The skeletal framework of a massive space station filled the view out of the viewport of his Star Destroyer.

He heard the crackle of lightning as he electrified the breath mask of a sleeping Muun named Hego Demask. _Darth Plageius, _he remembered.

Shouting at a man that he knew to be his father. His anger erupting like a tidal wave over him.

The sound of lightning again, as a young man in black clothing screamed and struggled to keep from falling into a deep pit nearby. He heard his words. _"And now, young Skywalker...you will die." _

As his memories and sense of self crashed over him, he became aware of names, two names, coming to his awareness.

_Sheev Palpatine, _he thought, _and Darth Sidious._

The cackling laughter continued, and he knew that it was his voice. It built in his ears until a loud crash woke him. Sitting up on the medical bed, he looked at the source of the noise. One of the other beds in the medical bay had crumpled like a can, the metal frame utterly crushed.

The boy, Sidious, became acutely aware of the anger that filled his mind and began to calm himself.

A quick reflection of his life determined that a great deal of his earlier memories, including his memories of his Force training, were still missing. _No matter, they shall return soon enough, _he thought. He now remembered his orders to the cloners. His body was old, and Dark Side degradation limited his physical abilities. A new body for him to transfer his spirit to was needed, at least until he discovered Plageius's secret to cheating death.

Standing, Sidious examined his reflection in the side of some medical equipment. Then, he spoke.

"It is good to see the face of Palpatine, once again. In these circumstances, it will serve me better than the face of Sidious shall."

The sound of the door opened. A boy wearing a red and green outfit entered.

"Good, you're up. Nightwing wanted me to bring you some break- what happened to the bed?"

Deciding that an apologetic approach would work best, Sidious gave a friendly smile.

"My apologies. My powers are amplified by emotion. Some of the memories I regained were very emotional moments. As my other memories return, I'll remember how to control them."

The other boy accepted that and nodded. "Alright. I'm Robin. Do you remember-"

"Sheev. Sheev Palpatine."

The first name he'd abandoned so long ago would serve him well here. Simply referring to himself as Palpatine could possibly draw unwanted attention. Besides, he had no intention of revealing himself as Sidious until his memories of his training returned.

"Sheev, huh? Well, the rest of us have been wanting to meet you since you were brought back. We've got some questions for you."

Sidious nodded and watched him go. He was more than a little worried about the questioning. With his plan to destroy the Republic, he could observe those around him and use the Force or his own charisma to learn how to manipulate them. With his missing memories and largely unknown situation, Sidious determined that his current priority should be to learn more about his 'rescuers.'

_Why would they have saved me? They certainly have no knowledge of the Empire or the Galactic Civil War. They don't seem like they intend to use me for their own purposes, though I shall need the Force to confirm that. If their planet's medical equipment is any indication of their technological prowess, then they won't have any ships capable of returning me to the fleet. What shall I do here?_

Sidious was roused from his thoughts by the sound of the door. Looking up, he saw Nightwing enter.

"Robin tells me that you have a name now."

Sidious nodded.

"Yes, but I'm still missing a lot of memories. I don't think that I'm ready to answer questions yet."

Nightwing looked a little irked at that, but nodded.

"Would you like to meet the rest of the team? They're very curious about you. And besides, we have your room ready."

Sidious nodded at Nightwing, and the two left the infirmary. As they walked, Sidious determined that they were underground, in some kind of secret base. He barely acknowledged the other members of Nightwing's team as they stared at him. He didn't stop looking ahead until he reached the room that had been prepared for him. Once Nightwing left him, he sat on the bed and attempted to meditate. A Jedi habit, to be sure. But one that was very effective at allowing one to focus the mind…

O

Three days passed. Sidious's memories returned fully long before that. Using his abilities to hide himself, the Sith Lord retrieved his belongings from the storage room that they'd been left in. It felt good to practice with his lightsabers, even if he could sense the team watching him through a hidden camera. He dared not destroy the camera, so as to not arouse suspicion.

Finally, the time came when Nightwing and the team sat him down in the main area of the Cave, to question him. Sidious regarded the team in front of him. There was no doubt in his mind that Nightwing would report it to Batman, and any other allies that they felt needed to know. In the three days that had passed, he'd learned that the children living in 'The Cave' were a sort of covert team for the Justice League, a team of beings that fought for order and justice on the planet he was now on.

With the information he had, the Sith Lord decided to play to their views. He'd portray his Empire as a peaceful government forced into war by a rebellion who were intent on restoring a corrupt system of government, and resurrecting a cult of traitors.

Nightwing asked the questions.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Sheev Palpatine, as I told Robin. I am the emperor of the Galactic Empire."

"Why are you here?"

My ship was damaged as it went to lightspeed. It crashed when we came out of hyperspace near your planet."

"You mentioned Rebels attacked your starship. Who are these rebels?"

"Before I became emperor, I was chancellor of the Galactic Republic. It was originally a strong, proud government, but by the time I became chancellor, it was mired in corruption and many of the senators were inept. I did what I could to clean up the government, but after a civil war, I was forced to reorganize the Republic into my Empire, to ensure political stability."

Sidious repeated some lines of his speech from the first Empire Day. The young heroes in front of him wouldn't be swayed by the words like the Senate had, but it would paint the Empire as a force for good, not evil.

"The Rebellion wished to reinstate the Republic, and return the galaxy to the state it had been in for thousands of years beforehand."

Nightwing looked troubled.

"There are a lot of republics and democracies on Earth. Why couldn't your Republic function like ours could?"

"The Galactic Republic is likely structured differently than your governments. In addition, the Republic had representatives from thousands of planets. It was too large to enforce or govern."

One of the other team members spoke up, a boy around Sidious's physical age with green skin and a tail.

"Why did they make a kid chancellor of the Republic, and then Empire?"

Sidious nodded in the boy's direction.

"My clone body hadn't reached maturity like I'd wanted. I was eighty-six years old when I was killed, and was hoping for my clone body to be in its twenties or thirties, at least."

The boy's face showed that he understood.

"Huh, noted."

Nightwing picked up the next question.

"What are those things that were in the ship with you. I saw that you stole them from the storage room?"

"Those are my lightsabers, as well as Sith texts and artifacts. I happen to like antiques a lot."

"Sith?"

"The Sith are beings who practice using the Dark Side of the Force."

Nightwing's face crumpled in concern.

"Dark Side?"

"Alright, how did I phrase it to Anakin? If one is to understand the great mystery, one must embrace a larger view of the Force, rather than the narrow views of the Jedi. I think that's how I said it. Simply using the Dark Side doesn't make someone evil. Many times, a Sith Lord has improved the galaxy for the better. However, the Jedi have made it their mission to wipe out the Sith whenever they find them. Even in the Republic, that is illegal."

"First of all, what is the Force? What are Jedi?"

"The Force is a mystical, cosmic energy. It surrounds us, binds us, and it can give the user great power, mostly telekinetic. Jedi are Force users who claim to use their powers for good, but attempted to overthrow the Republic in order to take control. I was in my sixties at the time, and four of the Jedi's best swordsmen came into my office under the pretext of arresting me, when in reality, they wanted to assassinate me! I would have been killed if Anakin Skywalker hadn't saved me."

"Why did they want to 'arrest' you?"

"Towards the end of my term as chancellor, a massive civil war broke out, led by a former Jedi named Count Dooku. The Senate begged me to stay on as chancellor, and gave me so many emergency powers, i was practically already a dictator by the end of the war. The war eventually ended, and the Jedi revealed themselves as traitors to the Republic. They were going to arrest me, but planned to kill me instead. One took out the microphone in my office so that nobody could hear what happened."

The team looked a little shocked at his words.

"What happened?"

"I was forced to use my powers to defend myself. I didn't want to reveal myself as a Sith Lord, as Dooku was also one, and seen as the enemy. My powers and the Jedi disfigured my face, so I used holograms to appear as I did during my time as chancellor, or stayed in private."

"Will the rebels come here?"

"Your planet is in unknown space, and the rebels think I'm dead. You should be safe."

"Will you be able to contact your empire for help?"

"I don't know. The Empire fell after my death and the remains were retreating into the Unknown Regions. That's where my ship was going before the attack."

"What else can you tell us about the Sith?"

"I can't tell you much. Secrecy has allowed the order of the Sith to survive for thousands of years. However, I can tell you that there can only be two Sith at a time, a master and an apprentice, usually. Any more, and they'd kill each other off. In addition, when becoming Sith Lords, we take new names after the title of Darth. My Sith name is Darth Sidious."

Nightwing frowned.

"Why all the secrecy? We won't attack you for what you say."

"For a group that wishes to gain my trust, concealing your identities and appearances will not help your case. However…"

Sidious's voice trailed off. He remembered his original youth, his love of action and being there to witness all sorts of dangerous events. It was even why he'd come to the second Death Star to supervise construction. He loved danger. That would help him here.

"...you still saved my life, and for that, you have my gratitude. For as long as I remain on your planet, I will help you to maintain peace and justice, if you'll allow me."

Nightwing eyed him contemplatively. The team waited in anticipation.

"Alright, you're on this team. But, we will be supervising your actions until we know we can trust YOU. It goes both ways, you know."

Sidious nodded. He hadn't expected Nightwing to suspect his lies, but didn't acknowledge it either. He was more concerned with his own behavior during the course of the questions. He'd always been a private person, rarely sharing more than he needed to in any situation. The answers that he'd given to the questions were more open than he'd been with anyone in...he didn't know how long. In addition, he couldn't envision himself betraying the team. Of course, he could think of scenarios where he _could_ betray them, but wouldn't. It was an odd sensation, his sense of loyalty was expanded to more than just himself, something he hadn't felt before. That troubled him greatly, and as he returned to his room, he could only wonder one thing.

"_What is wrong with me?"_


	4. Chapter 4

Sidious sat in his room, staring at the lightsabers of the Jedi he'd defeated hanging on the wall. His mind raced with theories on his abnormal behavior.

_Am I not yet comfortable in this body, and the lies I gave fit an older man more than a child? Have I simply lost my touch for manipulation? Is it some flaw with my body itself?_

He replayed several memories of people that he'd killed on the path to power. He felt no remorse for the deaths of Windu or the others that he'd killed in his office. Nor did he regret Plagieus's death. It was only natural for a Sith to kill the master. And the Jedi had intended to kill him. However, as he reviewed memories of other atrocities that he'd committed, he felt something else.

Guilt.

The hatred for his parents still remained, but he felt regret for the deaths of his siblings. The destruction of Alderann was not his doing directly, but he had given Tarkin unrestrained control of the Death Star, and thus was to blame. He felt slightly sick as memories of his monstrous actions surrounded him.

"_It must feel strange to you, doesn't it?"_

The voice caught him by surprise, and Sidous whirled around to find himself face to face with Anakin Skywalker. Or rather, a translucent blue spectre of Anakin Skywalker.

"What is this?"

His demand didn't affect the spirit in any way. Anakin simply smiled and said,

"_This is true immortality through the Force. It can't be achieved through hatred, only compassion. I had to learn quickly, after my death on the Death Star."_

Two more spirits appeared in front of the Sith Lord. He recognized them as Obi-Wan and Yoda.

"Why are you here? To taunt me?"

Obi-Wan spoke next.

"_We sensed your conflict. Given that you have never shown any form of remorse for your actions before, we were intrigued."_

"So I'm your little hobby now, am I? Why is this happening to me?"

"_Altered, your mind was, when cloned, your body was. An increased ability to feel, you now have. Compassion, love, attachment, all these you can now feel."_

"All of those things will only hold me back! A Sith cannot feel love or compassion, just as the Jedi cannot feel sadness or anger!"

"_And yet, the Dark Side can't give you immortality. Like I said, it can only be achieved through compassion."_

"There is nobody I feel compassion for. Any that I could have are long dead. There is no reason for me to embrace these emotions now."

Obi-Wan regarded him with a sympathetic expression.

"_Family members aren't the only ones that one can feel attachment to. You just need to find people that you care about to-"_

"I don't have anyone that I care about. I only cared about power! I'm not a Jedi! Don't treat me like one!"

Sidious felt slightly surprised at his outburst. He hadn't had one since he really _was _a child on Naboo.

"_Why did you turn to the Dark Side, Sidious?"_

Anakin's question surprised Sidious. In a way, he supposed, he'd always been a Sith. Years before he'd met Darth Plagieus, he'd bought and studied ancient Sith texts and artifacts, using his family's wealth. He'd been born with no empathy and few emotions for others. His status had made him feel invincible. It had even been proven to him after a speeder bike accident had killed several pedestrians. He couldn't truly name how he'd fallen except-

"Even as a young boy, I always knew I was different from others. I hid it, and my anger at everything around me. I think that may be why I was never found by the Jedi. Even Plagious couldn't sense my connection to the Force until after the deaths of my family. That was when he began to train me."

"_Different on Naboo, you may have been, but here, with these young ones, different you are not!" _Yoda said. _"Powerful you are, Sidious, and weaken you empathy will not, but strengthen you!"_

Sidious regarded the ancient Jedi Master.

"I doubt that they will accept me if they knew the truth about me. They have just as much a narrow-minded view as the Jedi did."

Anakin nodded at that.

"_Perhaps, but I redeemed myself after falling to the Dark Side. Even if you don't tell them, you can still redeem yourself through your actions with the team. Besides, your immersion in the Dark Side certainly drove you mad. Being sane now will certainly help you."_

"Yes, you did redeem yourself, by killing me. And negative effects on the body and mind are hazards of any Dark Side user."

"_The Jedi were defeated because we didn't evolve past the Sith of old. Now, you are the one who isn't evolving. In the days of the Clone Wars, or the Empire, there was no hope for you. Now there is. Please, do not refuse our help, Palpatine. Otherwise, you will only make the same mistakes of the past."_

Sidious didn't meet their gaze. He didn't want their help. It would feel too much like a betrayal of all he knew. However, he also knew that if he didn't learn to understand his new emotions, the confusion would drive him insane yet again. He had only one choice.

"Very well. I will not renounce the Dark Side, but I will welcome any help you can give me. I do not wish to repeat my mistakes."

The spirits nodded, seeming to accept his agreement. Anakin spoke one last time.

"_Now that we have made contact, you will be able to contact us more easily."_

And with that, the three Jedi disappeared. Sidious watched them go, and called his lightsaber to him with the Force. He turned it in his hands, examining it. As he did, he considered his mistakes during his rule. He'd left the galaxy in the hands of his officers, and allowed atrocities across the galaxy to occur. He'd promised peace, but only given more war. When he regained control of his Empire, he'd put it first, and the Dark Side second. This time, he wouldn't be overconfident.

O

The next few days were spent aclaimating Sidious to Earth. As the Sith Lord expected, the planet's technology was not yet developed enough to help him return to his fleet. In addition, he realized that his robes and cloak made him stand out. The team had helped him buy new clothes, all red and black, to help him blend in more effectively. Sidious also decided to learn more about his teammates and their abilities. The idea had occurred to him that they could help him bring down the New Republic, but decided to wait until there was trust between them before broaching the subject.

Nightwing and M'gann had approached him to get more of an explanation on some of what he'd said before. Some of it included who Anakin Skywalker and Count Dooku were, and a better explanation of the Force. Sidious found that explaining became easier the more that he did it.

He wasn't sure if that was a sign that he was growing to trust the group, or that it was something that he'd been wanting to talk about himself.

Sidious also started spending more time with the team. He'd decided to count his clone body's age as his actual age as his body was actually twelve. He became adept at video games, sports, and learned written English. He often wondered if that was what he would have been like if he hadn't been the way he was before. Even so, the Justice League didn't fully trust him, and made sure to keep him away from missions.

It wasn't until he'd been on Earth for two months that he was allowed on his first mission.

**That's all right now. I'm one of the people in the world that has recognized Palpatine as a sociopath. He fits most of the criteria for it. In the story, his clone body's mind is wired differently than before. I'll try to establish that later. Until the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

The day of Sidious's first mission started with a vision from the Force. It left him confused, anxious, and angry. It also brought him up to speed with his own galaxy's events.

_The first thing he saw was a red banner with a symbol on it. It looked like a hexagon with spikes facing inward. It hung over a platform on which numerous figures stood on and around it. Men in what looked to be variations of stormtrooper and snowtrooper armor and dark colored officers uniforms. At the front stood a man with red hair and in a black uniform and coat. He addressed the assembled troops in front of him._

"_Today, is the end of the Republic. The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder! At this very moment, in a system far from here, the New Republic lies to the galaxy! While secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance! This fierce machine which you have built, upon which we stand, will bring an end to the Senate, to their cherished fleet! ALL REMAINING SYSTEMS WILL _BOW _TO THE FIRST ORDER, AND WILL REMEMBER THIS, AS THE LAST DAY OF THE REPUBLIC!"_

_The black-uniformed commander was shouting and gesturing by the end of his speech, and the assembled soldiers in the crowd raised their left arms in salute to him. Sidious was still confused. What weapon? They were _standing _on it? The only thing he could think of that his Empire had with the power for that had been the Death Stars, and this rally was certainly on the surface of a planet or moon. Then, as he pondered this, Sidious saw the stormtroopers turn to face the treeline behind them, and the commander shouted one last word._

"_FIRE!"_

_A low hum sounded, increasing in intensity as he eyed the horizon with the troopers. When it reached its crescendo, the sky lit up with a blinding red energy that blasted skyward and made the trees buckle. Sidious immediately realized what was happening._

_The weapon wasn't a space station like the Death Star, it was built into a _planet.

_Sidious watched the beam of light stretch away from the planet, and the Force vision allowed him to follow it past the orbiting Star Destroyer and across space, until it impacted into an entire system of planets. He sensed the confusion and fear from the planet's occupants, as each planet was struck by the now-divided beams of energy, immediately wiping them of life, until the entire star system was nothing but a new binary system._

_Then, the vision changed._

_He sensed that he was still on the new planet-killer, but inside it instead of on the surface. He could see two figures standing on a catwalk over a deep chasm. Sidious felt flashbacks to his death, but ignored them._

_One of them, an older man, was standing face to face with the other figure, who was wearing black robes and a metal mask. He recognized the first man as Han Solo, a Rebellion general who had once been a smuggler. He looked at least thirty years older than the imperial wanted posters had portrayed him. The second figure spoke in a mechanically altered voice that slightly resembled Darth Vader's._

"_Han Solo. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."_

_Solo approached the dark figure. Sidious could sense no fear from him. The other figure, however, was extremely conflicted with their feelings. Sidious could sense the Force within him. He was extremely powerful. It also felt _familiar_. He was also on a knife's edge, teetering on the Light Side or the Dark. As Solo approached the other figure, Sidious heard a door open. Looking up, he saw Solo's Wookie copilot looking towards the door as well. A young man and girl entered, watching the scene in shock. The man wore a stormtrooper's black bodyglove under a flight jacket. The girl wore desert clothes. Both were carrying blasters, and aimed them at the dark figure on the catwalk. Sidious was about to turn back to the catwalk when he noticed something hanging from the girl's belt._

_The lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker._

_Sidious knew that Obi-Wan Kenobi had taken the sword on Mustafar after the defeat of Vader there. He also knew that Vader had reported that Luke Skywalker had wielded the blade against him on Bespin, but had lost it along with his hand in the duel. How this girl had found the blade, Sidious did not know, but he could sense her. Like the dark figure below, she was _strong._ Incredibly strong. Sidious was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Solo's voice._

"_Take off that mask. You don't need it."_

"_What do you think you'll see if I do?"_

_Solo's answer was immediate._

"_The face of my son."_

_Sidious's surprise was only matched by the surprise of the two figures on the balcony above. He continued watching the two on the catwalk. As he did, the other figure reached up, and removed his helmet. The young man beneath the mask bore a striking resemblance to Anakin Skywalker, explaining the familiarity of his Force signature. The two stared at each other._

"_Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish, like his father. So I destroyed him."_

"_That's what Snoke wants you to believe. But it's not true. My son is alive."_

"_No. The Supreme Leader is wise."_

"_Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you."_

_There was a moment as Solo reached his son._

"_You know it's true."_

_Out of nowhere, Sidious felt an impending sense of danger. He wanted to tell Solo to back away, but he knew that it wouldn't do any good. Solo's son spoke quietly._

"_It's too late."_

"_No, it's not. Leave here with me, come home!" Solo sounded hopeful, as if he could actually convince his son. With his expanded ability to emote, Sidious could understand that. As he watched, Solo said one last thing to the man that was his son._

"_Your mother misses you."_

_The man looked like he was going to cry._

"_I am being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain." He paused for a moment. "I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." Another pause. "Will you help me?"_

_Sidious watched Solo carefully as his emotions guided him._

"_Yes. Anything."_

_The young man dropped his helmet to the catwalk. He then removed his lightsaber from his belt and held it out to Solo. Sidious took a look at it._

_It was shoddily made, with pieces of casing missing for wires to run down the hilt's length. At the emitter end of the sword, two side exhausts ran perpendicular to the main emitter in a crossguard design. As the man held it out, his father reached out to take hold of it as well. Dark matter began to darken the room, and as it did, Sidious felt a surge in the Dark Side. With a hiss, the saber ignited and impaled Solo through his chest and out his back. The Wookie growled in rage, and the girl screamed, "No!"_

_Solo's eyes were filled with fear and pain, as he stared at his son. Sidious heard the younger man whisper to the elder, "Thank you." He then pulled the blade out of his father's body roughly._

_Solo stared into his son's eyes, and raised his hand to touch his son's face one last time, before he fell off the catwalk, into the abyss below. Sidious could see tears on the young man's face. He also sensed another person's grief at the death of Han Solo. It felt similar to Skywalker's but different. _The sister,_ he thought to himself. _So Vader was right. _He heard the Wookie roar in anger and fire a shot that sent the man to the catwalk. The other two began to exchange fire with the stormtroopers in the area, and the Wookie retreated from his position towards the building's entryway. As he did, he thumbed a handheld switch. And then the world filled with fire._

Sidious awoke in a cold sweat. His mind raced with what he'd seen. _Thirty years? _He'd been gone for thirty years? How was that possible? Was the First Order what his Empire had become after Jakku? And that weapon, how had they achieved that? And who WAS that man who killed Han Solo. Solo's son, to be sure, but who was his mother? Who was the sister of Skywalker? Where was Skywalker?

He was still lost in his thoughts when Nightwing entered his room. He only came out of it when he heard the vigilante's words.

"Sheev, get ready. We've got a mission."

**Sorry for the flashback chapter. I'm not sure what the mission Sidious and the team are going on, yet. It's not an episode, so I'll figure something out. Something that will allow Sidious to use the Force during it, and help him gain the team's trust. Until the next chapter!**


	6. Author's Note

**Hello everyone. I have some bad news. I've decided that I'm not going to be continuing Shadow Justice at this time. When I first started writing it, I had an idea in my mind for it, but I've been reviewing it and I'm not very happy with how it was turning out. Maybe in the future, I'll rewrite the story, but until then, I'm going to stop it here. However, I do have another idea for a story and I'll probably start writing it sometime in the near future, though updates may not be as regular as before with me starting college soon. Keep your eyes peeled for that!**

**Until the next story!**


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